Published: March 3, 2025
"The universe is like a dark forest, where every civilization is a hunter armed with a gun, stealthily moving through the trees like a ghost."
"Gently pushing aside the branches blocking the way, striving to make no sound with his footsteps, even his breathing must be careful."
"He must be cautious because there are hunters lurking in the forest just like him. If he discovers another life form, there is only one thing he can do."
"Shoot to eliminate."
"In this forest, others are hell, an eternal threat!"
"Any life that exposes its existence will soon be exterminated!"
The dark forest theory flashed through Liu Yu's mind.
This rule, even in the cultivation world, has many places where it applies.
As one ascends the path of cultivating immortality, high-level rare resources become increasingly scarce, and every cultivator of the same level becomes a competitor.
At any moment, anywhere, they can pose a strong threat to others.
Even if he harbors no malice, how does he know that others do not?
Even if the other party has no ill intentions, how can he know whether he has bad intentions? What if they mistakenly believe he has ill intentions and strike first?
Even if they know he harbors no malice, how can he be sure the other party has no malice?
The other party understands that they mean no harm, but they don't know if he knows they mean no harm. What if they guess that he will strike first and choose to act before him?
This would lead to an endless chain of suspicion.
Even if neither party harbors malice now and can be honest with each other, what about tomorrow? What about years later, or decades later?
Human hearts can change!
Moreover, there are certainly not just two competitors in this cultivation world, but also third parties, fourth parties, and so on. These are all variables!
The scarcity of high-level resources, the complexity of human nature, and the ceaseless chain of suspicion ensure that this world is bound to be cruel.
One must traverse a sea of corpses and a mountain of blood, using others as stepping stones to truly reach the peak!
"Beneath the surface's splendor lies unending competition."
Liu Yu sighed softly, murmuring to himself.
He was grateful that he obtained the "Summary of Demonic Cultivation" during the qi refinement stage, awakening to this reality a step ahead.
Otherwise, even with an Immortal Abode, he would likely not get very far.
Gently shaking his head, Liu Yu withdrew his gaze and transformed into a beam of blue escape light, soaring into the sky and quickly flying back the way he came.
"Wall of spiritual consciousness" surrounded him, seamless and leaving no gaps. He cautiously restrained his breath, spiritual pressure, and magical power fluctuations, flying at nearly full speed.
Before long, he had become a small dot on the horizon.
...
"This distance should be safe," Liu Yu thought, glancing back in the direction of Spiritual Martial City.
Half an hour had passed, and he had escaped nearly two thousand miles, now close to three thousand miles away from Spiritual Martial City.
Along the way, he constantly used the "Wall of Spiritual Consciousness" to block any probing, leaving no traces behind.
Even if a shape-shifting demonic cultivator personally came after him, they would never manage to track him down.
"With the status of the Sword of Ruin, as long as I keep it on me, even if a divine transformation stage cultivator acts, they won't be able to obtain my information through divination or prediction."
Thinking this, Liu Yu instinctively touched the long sword at his waist, feeling exceptionally at ease.
The status of the Sword of Ruin was comparable to that of a void refinement master, and since there were no void refinement cultivators left in this realm, even if a divine transformation cultivator acted, it would be difficult for them to obtain his information.
Unless it was an extremely special situation where a cultivator used a spiritual treasure for divination or prediction.
However, in the many ancient legends, there were no records of divination-type spiritual treasures.